I'm always searching for roots of who I am and where I come from. This may seem strange but the thing about ubungoma is that it puts you in touch intimately with your own family tree and you uncover a history about your forefathers (amadlozi) which you would otherwise never ever have access to. The pride I have in what I do and in who I am is because of the information which I get about the people from whom I come and their achievements against difficult odds. This knowledge allows me to believe in myself and the secret strengths I have, to overcome and achieve whatever I set my mind to. I'm sure you are wondering where this is going and you are about to find out.
What stories are told to our children about where we as an African people come from? What do they know about what we had to conquer and achieve and plan in order to make it to the southern most tip of Africa? What had to happen to fight off invasions, disease, ensure food was available etc, etc? What is the history which is told to our children by which they now define themselves?
I say this because we seem to be a little defeated whether it's in our jobs or homes. It seems that we accept definitions of our ability to succeed or fail, not based on our own history of achievement or failure, but by what we have been told we can achieve which in a lot of ways is from the periods of colonisation.
We need to look back, way back to the times when our forefathers were traveling through the continent, looking for places to settle. We need to acknowledge that these were smart, resourceful, successful, intelligent people and that is who we are descended from. Because they are in our blood, they are a part of us as we are a part of them meaning we are smart, resourceful, successful, intelligent people.
When the colonisers arrived, our spears had iron tips. What does that say about advancements that we had already made? We were not living in the stone age, but were progressing happily at our own pace. We need to stop moving at a pre-defined pace, but reclaim that which was intrinsically important to us. We need to do this so that we make best use of what we have.
Teachers will teach, learners will learn. Businesspeople will rise who are not afraid to take chances on themselves and the people of Africa. We will stop looking for a cushion or security outside because we are capable of providing these very things for ourselves. Follow the history of Africa, not just the recent one of struggles for liberation, because after all we were liberated long before we were colonised! Those liberated souls are still very much around in each of us. We need to find them. Philani!
